


Dead Realm

by aqueenofokay



Category: Banana Bus Squad
Genre: Horror, dead realm au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-08
Updated: 2016-03-22
Packaged: 2018-05-19 00:53:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5950020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aqueenofokay/pseuds/aqueenofokay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ghosts aren't real. They are just stories. They can't hurt us...Can they?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I have always loved the paranormal so I'm very excited about this fic. I am setting the rating for this fic as mature because it is going to get very violent and some scenes might be a bit disturbing. Anyways, I hope you enjoy! Thank you for reading and if you can, I love the feedback!

Lights flickered past, reflecting off the tinted window. The city was bright and alive, a sight that Lui never got sick of. It was a lot different from his usual suburban neighbourhood, a part of him sad that he couldn’t stay longer in the city but he couldn’t let his friends down, especially Evan who had been talking about this event since they got the invitation. 

“Guys! You’ll never believe this!” Evan had said excitedly in the skype call, his voice crackling through Lui’s headphones. “Because of Dead Realm, we’ve been invited to spend a night at this place up north called the ‘Winchester Mystery House’!” At the time, Lui and the others had only heard of the place or not at all, so when they mentioned this to Evan, he went into detail explaining what it was. “It has no real floor plan. It’s got stairs and doors that lead to nowhere. They want us to go because it’s similar to Dead Realm maps. We can promote our game and their Mystery house. Also apparently it’s super haunted!” 

“That’s a bunch of bullshit.” Tyler had scoffed at the mention of ghosts. 

“So what do you guys think? Should we do it?” Evan had asked. After some debate, they all agreed to it, some more reluctant than others. Lui didn’t consider himself superstitious but the mention of ghosts made him uncomfortable. 

Now they were crammed into a van on their way to San Jose, California. Lui’s head leaned against the window, the city now gone and replaced with the hot country side of California. Music played loudly, their laughter and voices louder. Craig, sitting in the middle, had his camera out and was vlogging with the group of them. 

“Lui! Say hi from back there!” Daithi laughed, the camera pointed in his direction. Lui smiled and waved before turning his attention back to the window. He could faintly hear Evan and Tyler talking up front, Tyler’s hands curled tightly around the steering wheel. 

“You don’t believe this, do you Evan?” Tyler asked with annoyance, his eyes glancing at Evan who sat in the front passenger seat, his feet propped up on the dash with the window open, the morning air pulling at his black hair. 

“Believe what, Tyler?” He turned his head to face Tyler, unaware of Lui watching him. 

“This whole ghost thing. Do you really believe in it? Or are you just pretending for the camera and your subscribers?” Tyler wondered, his words sounding harsh. Evan seemed offended by the question, his dark eyes narrowing at Tyler as he leaned away from him. 

“Why would you say that?” Evan snapped. Lui wanted to pipe up and tell them to shut up, not wanting this trip to be full of fighting. He knew it would happen eventually but he didn’t want it to be now when the trip had barely started. Yet he knew that if he got involved it would only be worse and Craig’s footage would be ruined and no one would be happy. 

“You know ghosts aren’t real.” Tyler insisted. “Just stories made up to make kids scared of the dark.” 

“I think everyone is a little bit scared of the dark.” Evan eyes turned to watch the scenery, the sky a pastel blue as the sun rose higher into the sky. He let his hand hang out the window, the wind catching his hand as he spread his fingers. “I’m just open to the idea...That's all. Besides, how could you pass up an opportunity like this? It’ll be like the sleepover we never had.” Lui wanted to be excited about the idea but a part of him was nervous. He knew Tyler was right, that ghosts and monsters were just stories but he couldn't explain why he felt so nervous. 

The four hour drive passed uneventfully, stopping for an early lunch along the way at a roadside diner where they had burgers and milkshakes. Of course, not all of them could be there. The invitation had been sent to all of them, especially Jonathan who was known for his serial killer laugh and cackling voice but he had declined. Luke went for both of them, sitting beside Lui in the back of the van with his dark sunglasses and earbuds in his ears most of the drive. Brian managed to squish between Daithi, Craig and Brock, the four of them the loudest in the group with their cameras held tightly in nervously shaking hands. Despite the noise, Lui found himself dozing off, his head nodding against his chest as his eyes closed, the sounds of laughter and music becoming muffled. 

“Lui! Hey wake up! We’re here!” Luke’s voice startled him, a hand shaking him awake. He sat up, looking out the window as the van turned onto the driveway, the mansion looming over them. It was intimidating, a sprawling building that never seemed to end. A place that was normally so full of tourists was quiet and empty, it felt wrong. 

“Holy shit...You weren't joking. This place is weird.” Craig leaned over Brock to look out the window as they passed the garden, it’s animal statues reflecting the warm sunlight. 

“Are you sure about this?” Lui asked as the van came to a stop. “Do we really have to spend the night here?” 

“What? Are you scared, Lui?” Tyler teased, a smirk on his face. 

“I’m gonna need a nightlight!” Lui squeaked, not wanting to let Tyler tease him. He didn't want to get branded as the easily scared one, knowing he would be subjected to horrible pranks that wouldn't let him sleep peacefully if he did. 

As he got out of the car, he was thankful to stretch his limbs, inhaling the fresh air. He looked up at the house, movement catching his eye. In one of the windows the curtain swung, as if someone had just been there, watching them. He told himself it was nothing, focusing on pulling his backpack out from under the pile of bags in the back of the van. 

“Do we really gotta stay the night here? This place gives me the creeps.” Daithi said quietly, standing beside Lui as they stared at the massive house. It was painted brightly but it seemed so dark at the same time, an ominous energy coming off the house. 

“Welcome to the Mystery House!” Their guide called from the front porch, motioning them to follow him. Lui stayed close to the group as they climbed the steps and headed inside, the front hallway long and splitting off  into different sections of the house. “We’ve closed for tourists so you will have the whole place to yourself which...is a lot. We encourage you to film or do whatever you want...Just be careful is all. We don't want you getting hurt on one of those staircases or damaging something.” He seemed too happy, smiling brightly at them as they stared around the hall with wide eyes. It smelled musty, the way all museums do, but this was different. There was a sharp smell in the air, similar to gunpowder. 

“So it's just us in this place?” Brock asked. Lui remembered what he had caught of glimpse of in the window, having to tell himself it was nothing but his imagination. He knew that this place was full of ghost stories, his mind already seeing things. 

“Yes! While you are here, we have a few staff members on the property staying the night in one of the other buildings. If you need anything, give us a call with one of the house’s telephones! Right now, you can leave your bags here while I give you the grand tour! Your bags will be brought to your room. With over one hundred and thirty five rooms, you won't have to worry about sharing a room!” 

Lui had no words to explain the house. It really did seem like a map from their game, none of it making any sense. With long hallways that would suddenly end with the turn of a corner, windows that looked out onto other rooms and even one in the middle of the floor that looked down to the room below, ballrooms, staircases and doors that went nowhere, it was all overwhelming. A maze of rooms and corridors that twisted and turned with no warning of where they would end up. 

“We have to show Jonathan!” Luke said excitedly once their tour ended and they found themselves back in the front room again. He got his phone out, Delirious’ skype picture on the screen as he called him. Jonathan had promised that if they didn’t call him, he’d call them every few hours. 

“Just to make sure that you guys haven’t been killed by a demon or something.” Jonathan had joked when he promised to call. Lui knew he was disappointed that he couldn’t go but he would be upset with Lui if he told him he’d prefer to switch places with him. Jonathan would tell him to try to be more involved with his friends. Lui felt that too but he would rather be at a party or one of their apartments, not a haunted house. 

“Hello?” Jonathan’s voice crackled through the phone’s speakers as Luke turned on the front camera, the group of boys waving to their friend. “Hey!”

“You gotta see this place, Jon!” Luke said, he and Evan heading off to show the house to him. 

“We wish you were here.” Evan said as they turned the corner, out of sight. Lui decided to go find his room, wandering through the winding halls and stairs till he found the bedrooms on the third floor. He found his bag in one of the bedrooms towards the end of the hall, thankful he didn't have the share the room.  It was a large room with a large bed in the middle, a dresser and vanity table on the other side of the room. It seemed like nothing had changed since the time it was built. With his back to the door, he pulled his bag onto the bed, rifling through it to find his phone charger. The floor creaked out in the hallway, footsteps quietly echoing against the wooden walls. 

“Guys?” Lui called out, glancing over his shoulder to see if someone was standing in the doorway but there was no one in sight. He turned back to his bag, telling himself it was just one of the others heading to their room. The creaking happened again, this time movement catching his eye. He turned slowly, only this time to see that his door had closed. “This isn’t funny!” Lui squeaked. No one answered him. He set the wire down on the bed, stepping towards the door. The room felt colder than it had before, chills running down his spine as he reached for the handle. He turned it only to find the door locked. It would not open no matter how hard he pulled at the handle. “Guys! Let me out!” Lui yelled, louder this time. He was frantic, feeling that he was not the only one in the room. He couldn't bring himself to turn around, closing his eyes tightly as he struggled to get the door open. 

The door swung open suddenly with force, knocking Lui back into the room. Brian stared at him with confusion, a camera in his hand.

“Are you okay? I thought I heard yelling.” Brian asked as Lui nodded shakily. 

“I’m fine. You must just be hearing the...the ghosts.” Lui laughed, still not wanting to look behind him. 

“We’re gonna start doing some filming so if you wanna join…” 

“Yeah...Yeah I’m coming.” Lui followed Brian into the hall, finally able to glance over his shoulder into his room. No one was there. “Brian...Do you believe in ghosts?” 

“I don't know if I believe in ghosts...The whole stuck here cause a life goal wasn't fulfilled sounds cheesy and made up. I do believe that we have an afterlife...I just don't think it’s ghosts and demons.” Brian explained as they passed a window in the floor that looked down into one of the rooms below. “Why? Did you see a ghost?” Brian laughed. 

“No. I was just wondering.” Lui snapped, crossing his arms. “Evan did say though that this place is ‘haunted’, didn't he?” 

“Evan will believe anything.” Brian laughed, turning into the ballroom where the others had gathered. Lui had to stop himself from snapping at Brian. Lui was pulled towards different cameras, laughing, answering questions and playing silly games. 

“We should play Dead Realm!” Brock suddenly suggested when their vlogging sessions ended.

“How?” Craig asked.

“Like hide and seek but Dead Realm style! Last one to say ‘not it’ is it!” 

“Not it!” 

“Not it!” 

“Not it!” 

“Not it!” 

“Not it!” 

“Not it!” They all said in unison, Lui finding himself saying it last. “Damn it.” Lui swore as the others smiled excitedly. “I’ll give you guys twenty seconds to run and hide.” Lui said, watching them back up towards the door to get a headstart. “Then I’m coming to get you.” He squeaked, making them laugh nervously. 

“Listen for each other guys...Don’t wanna get lost in here.” Daithi said quietly, staying close to Evan and Tyler. 

“Twenty...Nineteen...Eighteen…” Lui started counting down, creating panic amongst the boys as they scattered, their footsteps echoing throughout the house. Lui continued to count, feeling eyes on him again. “Ten...Nine...Eight...Seven…” He turned to look over his shoulder, not noticing someone run past the door. “Six...Five...Four...Three...Two...One...Here I come!” Lui yelled, running out of the room into the hallway. “Where are you?!” He taunted as he walked down the long hallway, glancing into the rooms. A whispered voice caught his attention, turning suddenly as if expecting to see someone right behind him. He was alone. “Are you taunting me?” Lui called out playfully, trying to hide the fear in his voice. Above him, the floor creaked as someone ran down the hallway. Lui ran towards the stairs, reaching the top in time to see Luke duck into one of the rooms. “I see you!” Lui giggled, running to the room. He found Luke hiding under the desk, grabbing onto his shoulder in an attempt to drag him out from under it. 

“Damn it! I’m never good at this fucking game.” Luke laughed, crawling out from under the desk. “Let's go find the others.” Luke smiled. Lui followed him out into the hallway, watching him go one way before going the other way. 

“Luke you bitch!” Brian yelled from down the hall, screaming and laughter echoing towards Lui down the hall.  Lui stepped as silently as he could on the wood floor to the next staircase where he headed up to the third floor. He heard Craig's panicked scream from somewhere below him and laughter as frantic footsteps ran down the hall. 

It felt strange in the third floor, unwelcoming though that was where all the bedrooms where. It felt wrong to be there, chills running down Lui’s back as goosebumps covered his arms. His friend's sounded distant now, the silence heavier than it had ever felt in this house. Lui glanced into the rooms, having to stop and back up when he passed his room. Evan stood in the middle of the room, his back to the door. He was oddly still, as if frozen in time. It didn’t even seem like he was breathing.  

“E-Evan?” Lui called out. He didn't know what to do, the overwhelming feeling of fear stopping him from stepping into the room. “Evan?” He didn't respond, his dark eyes on something in front of him that Lui couldn't see it. Lui forced himself to step into the room, cold air moving around him as if coming in one a breeze but the windows were closed. Lui felt claustrophobic in the large empty room, as if crowds of people were all around him. “Evan.” Lui reached for him, grabbing onto his arm tightly. Evan jumped, his eyes focusing on the room around him. He seemed disoriented, not sure of where he was or why. “Evan...Are you okay?” 

“I thought you were still counting…” Evan stammered. “How did I end up here? I was just in the ballroom. You were on sixteen. I heard you.”

“That was almost five minutes ago.” Lui said softly, trying to understand what Evan was feeling. 

“Oh…” 

“Let's get out of here...We should go find the others.” Lui suggested with a smile. Evan stared at him for a few moments before nodding, letting him lead him out of the room into the hall. “I don’t like this place.” Lui whispered, loud enough that only he should have heard it. 

“I don’t think this place likes us…” Evan murmured. Lui pretended that he hadn’t heard Evan’s comment, trying to be happy and searching for their hiding friends. Evan seemed to stumble around, still dazed and confused. When they found someone, Evan seemed just as surprised as they were. He couldn’t understand how five minutes had just slipped away from him, a blank spot where there should be a memory. Lui kept telling him not to worry about it, that he had just gotten all caught up in the excitement and adrenaline. 

Brock was the last one to be found, hiding under a staircase in the shadows, so he was the ‘ghost’ next. Lui stayed close to Evan, the two finding a wardrobe in one of the rooms to hide in. They could hear footsteps out in the hall, Tyler and Craig laughing and yelling at each other to run as Brock found them in the other room. 

“Are you okay?” Lui whispered, unable to see Evan’s worried expression in the dark. 

“Y-yeah.” Evan reassured him. “This game is just a lot scarier in real life.” As in response to his comment, a loud bang on the wardrobes doors made them jump, Lui’s hand grabbing Evan’s wrist. They were still, staring at the dark doors with wide eyes. The silence was broken by another bang, as if someone was hitting the doors. 

“B-Brock?” Lui stammered. “This isn’t funny.” The doors were opened suddenly, the light hurting their eyes. 

“What isn’t funny?” Brock asked with a smile. 

“You weren’t hitting the doors?” Evan asked. Brock looked at them with confusion, not sure if they were trying to joke with him or not. 

“No. Why would I?” Brock glanced between the two of them. “Maybe it was one of the others trying to prank you.” 

“Yeah...Just a prank.” Lui forced a laugh.

After a few more rounds of the game, they decided to have their dinner. They sat around the large dining room table, eating their pizza and talking about anything that came to mind. Anything that didn’t have something to do with ghosts. Evan was back to being himself, joking with the others as if nothing had happened to scare him into shock and silence. 

“We should do some more vlogging tonight. Oh! What if we tried to do a ghost investigation?” Craig suggested. 

“Boring.” Tyler took a sip from his pop. “It’d be more fun if one us pretended to be a murderer and we make a spoof of a scary movie.” 

“Pretend to kill each other?” Brock laughed. “Could be fun. A lot more than sitting in the dark and asking if someone is here with us.” The ceiling above them creaked, the floorboards shifting under footsteps. All of them looked up at the ceiling before glancing around to make sure they were all there. 

“Old fucking house.” Tyler spat as he bit into his pizza. “Makes all types of noises. It’s gonna scare us all to death.”

 

They made their video after dinner, screaming and laughter filling the halls as they ran from Tyler who held a fake rifle and a mask over his face. It took them till ten, the streets outside dark and empty except for the occasional car or person walking past. A staff member came by to make sure they had everything they needed, making sure all the doors were locked before saying goodnight. By eleven, they decided to head to bed, saying goodnight to each other as they closed their heavy wooden doors. 

“Have a good sleep. Don’t let the ghosts get you.” Tyler joked as his door closed. 

“Goodnight.” Lui pretended he hadn’t heard the comment as he closed his door. He didn’t want to be in this room, remembering how he found Evan standing in the middle of it as if he was in a trance. It felt heavy, different emotions clouding Lui’s mind as he got ready for bed. “It’s nothing...Just your imagination.” He told himself as he pulled on his pajama pants and his hoodie. “Just your imagination.” He told himself as he climbed into bed, pulling the scratchy blankets over himself. He scrolled through his twitter, keeping his mind off the shadows at the edge of the room. “Just your imagination.” Lui told himself as he turned his phone and the lamp off when his eyes started to droop, pulling the blankets close. He started to fall asleep, exhausted by the day's events. All he wanted was to fall asleep and to wake up in the morning knowing that he could leave. He wanted to be back in his own bed, safe and sound. 

The floor creaked, a tapping sound making Lui shift in his sleep before falling back into a deeper sleep. The tapping sound happened again, three taps on the wall. Fingers curled around Lui’s ankle, claw-like nails digging into his skin as the hand pulled, dragging Lui from his bed. His scream reverberated around the room and echoed in the hallway, the thud made as he hit the floor just as loud. He scrambled to his feet, pulling open his door and ran to one across the hall, throwing it open.

“Someone grabbed me!” Lui screamed frantically, lights turning on and doors opening down the hallway. Daithi sat up in bed, reaching for Lui’s shaking hand. “Someone dragged me from my bed! We can’t stay here!” Lui fell onto the bed, wrapping his arms around Daithi who tried to comfort him. 

“Shh...It’s okay. It’s okay. It was just a nightmare. That’s all. A nightmare.” Lui wasn’t sure who he was trying to convince.

“What’s going on?” Tyler yawned as he reached the door. Evan and Craig stood beside him, glancing back into Lui’s room to see if something was there. 

“Just a bad dream.” Daithi said quietly, rubbing Lui’s shoulder gently. A loud slam down the hall made them jump, a glare darkening Tyler’s face. 

“Who is in my room?” Tyler snapped, stomping down the hall to his room. 

“Someone doesn’t want us here...They want us to leave.” Lui looked up at Evan with pleading eyes, begging him to listen. 

“Who doesn’t want us here, Lui?” Craig asked, sitting down beside him on the bed. 

“Brian? Are you in my room?” Tyler yelled from down the hall. They could hear him struggling with the door, unable to get it open. The thought occurred to Lui that maybe it was the opposite. 

“Or maybe...They just don’t want us to leave at all…” Lui breathed, getting to his feet suddenly. He pushed past Evan who stumbled back, watching Lui run down the hall to Tyler’s room as he threw open the door. No one was there, the door seemingly locked for no reason at all. 

“Why are you yelling?” Brian asked as he opened his bedroom door with a yawn. Luke and Brock had opened their doors now, woken up by the noise. Tyler stared at him with wide eyes, not sure of what to say. He had been convinced that it was them playing a prank on them. The silence was broken by footsteps downstairs, as clear as any of theirs. 

“Someone is in here!” Tyler ran down the stairs, followed by Lui and the others. They searched the floor, but found no one. “What the fuck is going on? Evan! Is this a part it? Is there some asshole running around here in a sheet trying to scare us all?” Tyler yelled at Evan who shook his head. 

“I don’t know, Tyler!” Evan yelled back. 

“You said that this place is haunted! You got us all worked up and now we’re all scared out of our fucking minds. You fucked with us, Evan!” Tyler shoved him back, Luke having to get in between them to stop it from getting violent. 

“I did not! I thought this would just be a fun time! That we would vlog and promote our game and this house! How am I supposed to know how or why Lui got dragged out of his bed or why your door was slammed?” Evan yelled back, pushing Luke off him. “Don’t fucking blame me!” 

“Stop it!” Brock yelled from where he stood at the top of the stairs. “We can’t be overreacting right now! We can’t be fighting each other right now! We’re all scared and we’re not thinking! Please! Stop yelli-” A dark shadow moved behind Brock as if pushing him. Brock fell forward suddenly, the crack made by his head hitting the railing before crashing to the stairs made Lui sick. They watched him fall down the stairs with wide eyes, too shocked to move. He landed in a heap at the bottom of the stairs, blood dripping onto the wooden floor. 

Somewhere in the house, a clock tolled midnight. 


	2. Chapter 2

“Brock…” Lui breathed, the tolls of the clock still echoing through the halls. Brian found himself able to move, falling to his knees beside Brock's still body. 

“Oh God...Oh God...Someone call for help!” Brian yelled, pulling Brock into his arms. Blood covered his hands that he pressed to the deep wound on Brock's head, his hair soaked with blood. There was nothing he could do but he still tried. “Now!” Tyler ran to find a phone, turning on the dim lights as he ran down the hall. 

“Someone pushed him.” Craig breathed. “He didn't fall...I saw it. He was pushed.” 

“No one touched him!” Evan suddenly yelled, tension filling the room. It made Lui uncomfortable and scared, having never heard Evan sound so angry before. “No one fucking touched him! He fell!”

“He was pushed!” Craig yelled back. “You saw it too!”  

“You wanna tell the police that? You wanna tell his fiancee that? One of us is gonna get the blame! They are gonna think that one or all of us killed him! Bashed his skull in and made it seem like he fell down the stairs! No one touched him, Craig! He fell!” 

“You saw it, Evan! You saw that shadow!” Craig protested, tears falling from his eyes. “That thing pushed him…” 

“Guys…” Tyler ran back to them, out of breath. “The phone isn’t working.” 

“For fucks sake…” Daithi sighed, the group following Tyler to the sitting room where the phone was. They tried it, dialling 911 and when that didn't work, the staff number. They heard nothing but that constant dial tone. 

“What about our cell phones?” Luke suggested. Those who had their phone with them took them out only to find they didn't have service. “Is there still wi-fi? If we get one of our phones on it, we can at least call Delirious.” 

“What’s  Jon gonna  do?” Tyler snapped. “He’s halfway across the fucking country!” 

“So at least someone knows about Brock that can get help!” Luke cried. Tyler went silent for a few moments, glancing up at the others who were just as clueless as to what they should do. 

“Let's see if we can get out of here. If I have to break a window…” Tyler muttered, storming out of the room. Lui rubbed his eyes with his sleeve, not sure if he was trying to get rid of the tears or the image of Brock’s body at the bottom of the stairs and the blood pooling around his head. 

“He can’t be dead...He can’t…” Lui’s voice broke, his watery eyes meeting Evan’s. He turned away from Lui, heading back into the hallway to find Tyler. They couldn’t look at each other, no one wanting the others to see them cry. Lui forced himself to head back into the dimly lit hallway, hearing Tyler and Luke struggle with the front door. 

“Stupid fucking door” Luke yelled, hitting the door.

“They locked it from the outside! There has gotta be another door.” Tyler pushed past Lui, practically shoving the shorter boy out of the way. “Don't just stand there!” 

“Tyler, stop being such an asshole.” The sight of Brain standing at the end of the hall made Lui jump. His sweatshirt was stained red, blood dripping from his hands to the floor the same way tears fell from his eyes. He looked just as monstrous as the shadow that pushed Brock. Tyler stared at him with just as much shock as the others, glancing back at them with desperation. He was just as scared as they were, feeling like the walls were closing in on him, suffocating him. 

“I don't… I don't mean to be...I’m sorry...I just...I need to get out of this fucking house…” Tyler sounded desperate, stepping past Brian to head to the back of the house to find another door. 

“Got it. It’s not very good but it’ll have to do…” Luke had Skype open on his phone, calling Delirious. “Please answer...please answer…” 

“Luke?” Jonathan yawned, his voice breaking up. “W-What’s going on?” 

“Brock is dead! We need help!” Craig grabbed the phone away from Luke, clutching it tightly in his hands. “Call the police! Any one! We can't get out of here!” 

“Stop...Mini just stop! Slow down! What is going on? Tell me slowly. “ Jonathan said, trying to calm Craig down. 

“This place...Someone is in here...And they killed Brock!” Lui took the phone from Craig, needing to hold onto something solid, something that he was certain was real. “He was pushed down the stairs...His head...There is so much blood...How can there be so much blood in your head…?” 

“Have you called the police? You need to get out of there!” Jonathan cried, now wide awake. 

“We can't! The phones won't work...and we’ve been locked in! Jonathan help!” Lui looked up to see Evan standing in front of him, his eyes darker in the dim light. 

“Why did you tell him someone killed? He fell on his own! We’re all freaking out right now. Our minds are playing tricks on us.” Evan snapped, taking the phone from Lui suddenly. 

“Evan? Are you okay?” Jonathan’s voice was full of worry and confusion. 

“I-I...I’m okay.” Evan nodded. “Just call the police. We need help.” None of this was making sense to Lui. Evan had just been agreeing with Lui that there was something wrong in the house and now he was saying that there was nothing, that it was just an accident. 

“Evan...Evan you said this place was haunted. You saw the shadow…How can police help us?” Lui asked, looking up at him with wide eyes. 

“Because Brock is dead.” Evan said, doing his best to keep his voice steady. Upstairs, the sound of shattering glass could faintly be heard, making them jump. 

“Tyler?”  Craig called out, not getting a response. 

“Guys? What's going on?” Jonathan asked, having faintly heard the sound. Evan hung up, tucking the phone into his pocket and headed towards the stairs, Lui close behind. 

“Tyler! Luke! Was that you?” Evan yelled, throwing open Tyler's bedroom door. He wasn't in there, the room empty. They continued to the other rooms, not finding Tyler or Luke. Lui’s bedroom door was closed, the knob clicking as Lui opened it. The mirror on the vanity table was shattered, a hole in the middle of the cracked glass that revealed the patterned wall paper behind it. He stepped towards the mirror slowly, pieces of reflective glass all over the table and floor. He leaned towards the broken glass, peering through the hole to see if there was something behind it.

Darkened fingers suddenly curled around the broken glass from the other side, as if reaching Lui. He screamed, falling back onto the floor, the objects on the table clattering to the floor. 

“Lui?” Brian called, footsteps running in the hallway towards him. Lui looked up at him and Craig with wide eyes, struggling to breathe. “Lui? What is it?” All he could do was point towards the broken mirror with a shaking hand. Brian crossed the room to the mirror, Craig staying by the door. Brian leaned towards the glass, looking to see if there was anything  there. “There is nothing here.” Brian said, turning back to Lui. “Did you break it?” 

“N-No! I found it...like this.” Lui cried. “There was a hand that came out from behind it! I swear!” 

“Come on Lui. Just stay with us, okay?” Craig pulled Lui to his wobbly feet, his eyes still on the broken mirror. “I wanna fucking get outta here.” Lui could have sworn he saw the hand on the glass again as he left the room with Craig and Brian. 

“All the doors are locked!” Tyler yelled from downstairs, his voice getting louder as they headed down the stairs. Evan, Luke, and Daithi stood around him, trying to calm him down. “Did you hear from Jonathan?” 

“Yeah...We told him to call the police.” Evan said, glancing up at Lui, Craig and Brian with wide eyes. “He’ll do it, Tyler. Just try to breathe. We’ll figure this out.” 

“They’ll blame us for Brock! They’ll think we killed him!” Tyler was struggling to breathe now, his panic escalating with every word. “No one touched him...right? Right?!” 

“No one touched him, Tyler. He fell. Tripped over his own feet.” Evan said. Lui watched him closely. They weren’t feeling like themselves, but Evan seemed the most affected. He would suddenly be angry only to calm down just as quickly. Lui told himself it was just the fear getting to him. 

“Why don’t we pack up our stuff and stay in one of the ballrooms? We’ll stay together in one room for the rest of the night. There is no point in doing damage to this house with so much already done.” Daithi suggested. Tyler seemed reassured by the suggestion, nodding at the mention of staying together now that his prideful anger had faded. The rest of them agreed to the suggestion, avoiding the bloodstained stairs and headed to another staircase that took them to the third floor. 

Lui was hesitant to go back into his room, everything from finding Evan frozen there in the middle of the room to the broken mirror and the blackened hand that gripped the glass running through his mind. He grabbed his bag, stuffing his clothes into the pack and reached for his phone. There was no signal and the battery was drained though it had been plugged in and charging. With a sigh,  he put the phone into his bag, useless to him now. 

A loud bang came from down the hall, almost sounding like a gunshot. Lui jumped, turning to look at his open door and the hallway beyond. It was followed with someone banging on their bedroom door, trying to get it open. 

“Open the fucking door! This isn’t funny!” Brian yelled, his voice muffled by the wodden door. Lui ran into the hallway, a flash of colour catching his eye. Brock stood, bloody and wide eyed at the end of the hallway by Brian’s door. His eyes turned slowly to the closed door that was being repeatedly hit by Brian before he turned and walked towards the very stairs that he had died on. Lui couldn’t move the whole time he saw his friend’s ghost, watching him move slowly before disappearing into thin air. 

“Don’t just stand there! Help him!” Evan yelled, pushing past Lui as he ran towards Brian’s door. He grabbed the knob, trying to turn it but found that it wouldn’t work. The others joined him, hitting the door as much as Brian was. 

“Help me! G-Get it open! I can’t breathe!” Brian screamed, hitting the door as hard he could from his side. “Help me! Help me!” 

“Get something heavy! We gotta break it down!” Daithi yelled. Tyler and Luke ran to find something, the rest of them still struggling with the door and listening to Brian scream on the other side. 

“I c-can’t...breathe…!” Brian cried, his pounds on the door becoming more like he was scratching at the wood with his fingernails, his voice strained. 

“Tyler! Luke!” Evan yelled. “Hurry up!” The two came running back down the hallway, a heavy trunk held between them. 

“Back  up!” Tyler snapped at them, still hearing Brian scratching at the door, his loud gasps for air faintly heard over it. “Brian! Back up!” The scratching stopped, hearing a faint thud on the other side of the door. It two two swings to bash open the door, the old wooden door breaking open and hit the wall hard enough for the knob to dent the wood. They threw the trunk to the floor, the loud noise it made echoing in the hall. “Oh...fuck…no...” 

Brian lay on the floor, his empty eyes wide and bulging out of his head. His neck was darkened with bruises in the shape of hands, his own hands covered in blood, his fingernails chipped and coming off. 

Somewhere in the house, a clock tolled one. 


	3. Chapter 3

“How...How is this happening…?” Evan breathed. He had to lean against the door for fear of his legs giving out. The grotesque sight of Brian's strangled body made Lui sick, forcing him to look away. No one could look at Brian, either turning away or closing their eyes. Lui closed his eyes tightly as he leaned against the wall, tears falling from his tightly closed eyes. 

“We are all gonna die…” Craig had fallen to his knees, having to take his glasses off so he could dry his eyes with his sleeve. “We can't get out of here and we’re trapped in here with this...thing.” He spat the last word out with more anger than Lui thought he was capable of. 

“Shut up...Don't say that.” Luke snapped. “We are getting out of here before another one of us is…” He trailed off, unable to finish his sentence. “There has gotta be another way...We need to find it.” 

“How can you be so sure?” Daithi asked, his eyes wide and tearful. “How can you be so sure that there is a way out?”

“Shut up! Thinking like that is going to get us killed!” Luke cried. He took a calming breath, tension filling the air that made them all uncomfortable. Lui wasn’t entirely sure if it was from the yelling or from something far more malicious.

“Why don’t we try searching the house again…It’s worth a shot.” Evan suggested. They nodded reluctantly, unable to think of anything else to do. Even with the yelling over, the air was still heavy with tension. Lui told himself it was just how scared they were as well as what they had just witnessed. It would not be easy to forget the sight of all the blood and the sounds of screams. 

  
  


The halls seemed longer than they had before, the dim light casting dark shadows on the walls that seemed to follow them, flickering and dancing on the wood behind them as they walked down the hall. They found themselves splitting up, drawn to different sections of the house without even realising it. It wasn't till Lui was standing at the bottom of a staircase that went nowhere that he realized he was alone. He turned to say something to the group of them only to find no one there. 

“Hello? Guys! Where did you go?” Lui called out, stepping quietly down the hall. “Guys?” A loud crash came from behind one of the closed doors which made him jump as the silence was broken. A chill ran down his spine as he reached for the doorknob, trying to keep his hand steady. “Hello?” The door creaked as it opened onto another large hallway. One of the side tables had been knocked over, the broken lamp sparking on the wood floor. Craig was on the floor beside the table, his hands over his face as he sobbed quietly in the dark. “Craig…” Lui knelt beside him, pulling him into a gentle hug. He stroked his shaking shoulders, listening to him sob. 

“I can’t do this, Lui...I can’t...We lost our best friends...And we’re gonna die too if we don’t get out of here...There is no way out, Lui! Help isn’t coming!” Craig sobbed into Lui’s shoulder, his tears soaking Lui’s sweater. “We’re dead...We’re dead…” 

“No...No we’re not. We’re gonna make it out of here, okay? We’ll find our way out. It’s probably right under our noses.” Lui reassured him with a smile.

“How do you know? How can you be so fine about this? You saw our friends die right in front of you!” Craig pushed Lui’s arm off, staring at him with wide, disbelieving eyes. Lui didn’t know how to answer him. He didn’t know what to say. To him, there was no good way of answering that question. All he could think was that he couldn’t let himself break down now because he wouldn’t be able to continue if he did. 

“I’m not okay...I’m really not…” Lui sighed. “But sitting here isn’t going to do anything. Come on, Craig.” He managed to pull his friend to his feet, the two walking slowly down the hall. “It’s okay...It’s all okay…” Lui repeated. 

“Ghosts can’t hurt us...they can’t kill us…” It sounded as if Craig wasn’t talking to anyone. “Can they?” 

“No. They can’t.” Lui answered quickly. Craig nodded, wiping tears from his eyes with the back of his hands. 

“Right...Of course.” He forced a laugh, the noise sounding pained and strangled. They continued down the hall, a sense of unease and dread coming over them the farther they went. 

Lui glanced into one of the rooms as they passed, surprised to see the lamp on inside. Lui stopped, staring into the room as if he was being invited into the room. He ignored Craig’s protests as he stepped into the room, drawn into the room by a strong impulse that he couldn’t control.

On a table in the room was a board, a large planchette on top of the board. Before he could stop himself, Lui was walking into the room, coming to a stop at the table. “Holy shit...That’s a real ouija board…” Craig breathed from behind Lui, his eyes wide with fear. Lui reached for the planchette, only for his hand to slapped away from it by Lui.“Don’t touch it!” Lui wasn’t sure what had come over him but all he could think was that he had to use it. 

“Try it with me…” Lui said quietly, looking up at Craig who shook his head. His voice didn’t sound like his own, not even sure why he said it. 

“No...No!” 

“Come on...You just said that ghosts can’t hurt us...So what is this going to do?” He didn’t mean to sound as mean as he did but he couldn’t stop himself from sounding as aggressive as he did.“ Maybe this will tell us how to get out. You want a way out, don’t you?” Lui snapped at Craig who nodded slowly as he placed his hands on the planchette with Lui’s. “Can you tell us your name?” Lui called out. Nothing happened. 

“This is stupid...Lui come on...I don’t wanna-”

“Tell us your name!” Lui called out, louder this time. He didn’t understand why he was acting so aggressive all of a sudden. All he could think was that he had to use the board, ignoring that rational side of him that wanted to stop as much as Craig did. All of a sudden, something grabbed their hands, their skin covered with goosebumps as they were surrounded by freezing cold air in the otherwise warm room. Their hands were pulled aggressively towards the letter ‘B’. 

“Oh god…” Craig tried to pull his hands away as the planchette moved aggressively but found himself unable to. They could only watch as their dead friend’s name was spelled out, unable to move. “Brian…” Craig said quietly once the name had been spelled, his fearful eyes glancing up at Lui. 

“Maybe...It’s a coincidence.” Lui said. “How did you die, Brian?” The planchette moved again as soon as the words were out of Lui’s mouth. “G-U-N…See...Just a coincidence.” 

“What if it’s a warning?” Craig wondered. Lui thought he was just jumping to conclusions till the planchette moved to point to ‘yes.’ “I wanna stop! Lui, please!” 

“One more question...Who killed you, Brian?” Lui struggled to get the question out. He feared the answer, regret making him wish he didn’t ask it as the planchette started to move. It was a long answer, forcing them to spell it out loud so they could keep track of the letters.

“B-E-W-A-R-E O-F O-U-R F-R-I-E-N-D.”

“What does that mean?” Craig cried. “What does that mean?” He repeated when the planchette didn’t move. “What the fuck does that mean?” 

“Let’s stop…” Lui said as he moved the planchette to point to ‘goodbye’, slowly backing away from the board. 

“What does that mean, Lui?” Craig asked desperately. 

“I don’t know.” Lui stammered. The aggressive energy that had overcame him had faded, leaving him drained. He wanted was to lay down, having never felt so exhausted before. “Let’s get out of here.” They stumbled into the hallway, their footsteps creaking on the wood floor. 

“What if that really was Brian...What if that was really him?” Craig wondered aloud. Lui remembered seeing Brock’s bloody apparition moments before Brian’s death, how he had been unable to move when he saw him. He knew he should tell Craig about seeing the ghost but he didn’t want to scare him anymore than he already was.Before Lui could open his mouth to answer Craig, a sudden yell and a bang from downstairs made them jump, recognizing Luke’s angry voice. 

“We gotta fight back! We’re all dead if we don’t!” Luke yelled as Lui and Craig ran down the hallway to the staircase, finding the others in a panicked state. Luke held an old fashioned rifle, his eyes wide with fear and anger as he screamed at them. 

“Luke stop it!” Tyler yelled. “We can’t fight back! It’s pointless! All we can do is find a way out! Put the fucking gun down! You’re scared! You aren’t thinking! Luke please put it down!” 

“Fuck you, Tyler! Fuck you all! You are all gonna die! All because you are too scared to fight!” Luke screamed, waving the gun at them. They covered their heads with their arms as if would protect them. They knew the gun was fake, there nothing to it but wood and old metal but their minds told them to scared of it. 

“Luke stop! Calm down!” Evan cried, stepping towards him slowly with his hands outstretched. “Luke, listen to me.” Luke stared at him, shaking with anger. “Let’s call Jonathan, okay? Let’s call him...Okay?” Evan reached for his phone, calling Jonathan on skype. The silence in the hallway was heavy, broken with the dial tone coming from the phone. 

“Luke? Guys? What’s going on?” Jonathan’s voice crackled through the speaker. “I called the police! Are they there?” 

“No...But you called them right?” Evan asked, glancing up at Luke who seemed to relax a little when he heard Jonathan’s familiar voice. 

“Yes! What’s going on?” Jonathan demanded. 

“We don’t know...Brian is dead now too. You gotta call again!” Evan insited. Lui glanced up at Luke nervously, seeing that his knuckles were white because of his tight grip on the gun. 

“I will. Don’t worry, okay? Help is coming!” Jonathan reassured them. 

“See...Help is coming, Luke. Put the gun down, okay? Take deep breaths. It’s all okay.” Evan said more quietly in hopes that Jonathan wouldn’t hear him. 

“What? What gun? Luke!” Jonathan suddenly cried. “Luke listen to me! Help is coming! It’s okay!” As Jonathan spoke, Lui noticed Craig move forward as Jonathan spoke, his hand curling around the barrel of the gun in an attempt to take it from Luke gently. 

Luke panicked, and tried to pull away from Craig suddenly, a loud bang echoing through the hall. Their ears rang, the strong smell of gunpowder stinging their sinuses. Evan turned slowly, blood splattered onto the side of his face and the phone with Jonathan’s picture glowing on the screen.

Craig’s eyes had never been bigger before, full of shock and pain. His gaze moved down to his chest, his hands shaking as he raised them to the blossoming stain of blood. Luke had froze, staring at the now smoking gun in his hands. 

“H-How…” Craig stammered, coughing up blood as his legs gave out weakly. Tyler moved suddenly, catching Craig as he fell limply to the floor, blood dripping to the floor. 

“Craig! Come on, Mini! It’s okay!” Tyler cried, shaking his friend’s limp shoulders. Craig’s eyes stared unseeing at the ceiling, not responding to Tyler’s screams. “Craig! It’s okay! Please! Craig!”

Somewhere in the house, the clock tolled two. 

  
  



	4. Chapter 4

“I-I didn't mean too...It shouldn't even be possible…The gun isn’t real…” Luke stammered, the tolls of the clock still echoing through the halls. He dropped the gun to the floor, his hands up in a beg for mercy as Tyler rose to his feet, laying Craig’s bloody body down gently.

“You killed Craig...You shot him.” Tyler snarled through gritted teeth. “You shot him.”

“It was an accident!” Lui cried, stepping between the two of them. The tension was almost overwhelming yet Evan seemed to be the only person who was calm. Tyler shoved Lui out of the way harshly as he continued towards Luke. He picked up the fallen gun, swinging it above his head and with a scream of anger, brought it down on Luke who tried to block the hard wooden barrel of the gun with his arms.

“Tyler stop! Tyler!” Daithi yelled, trying to pull Tyler away from Luke. Tyler pushed  him off, a terrifying look of anger on his face.

“When I’m done with him, I’m coming for all of you.” Tyler threatened. Daithi stared nervously at Tyler as he backed up, reaching for Lui’s hand that he gripped tightly.

As they backed away, Luke wrapped his arms around Tyler’s neck, choking him despite how much Tyler struggled. Without even thinking twice about it, Lui turned and ran down the hall, Evan and Daithi close behind.

“What do we do? What do we do?” Daithi cried as they ran up the stairs, stumbling down the hallway.

“Hide.” Evan snapped, his voice sounding harsh. He didn’t seem like himself, not acting like any normal human being would in this situation. Lui tried to tell himself that it was just how he was dealing with it, listening to his order as they ran into the nearest room. It was the same one that he and Evan had hid in earlier while they were playing their game of hide and seek. He wondered if everything that had just happened in the last two and a half hours was even real and how any of it was even possible.

Evan closed the door behind them, pressing his ear against the wood to hear if anyone was coming after them. He couldn't lock the door so all he do was hold the rusted gold knob and put his weight against the door, hoping that it would be enough to stop the two bigger men. Lui and Daithi stood back from the door, more scared than they had ever been in their lives. They were no longer wondering who was after them, no longer scared of what was in the shadows. They knew who was after them now. Their own friend seemed possessed, prepared to kill when he had once been so soft and kind.

“Evan…” Daithi started to say but was stopped by Evan who held his hand up to silence him. Footsteps could be heard from the hallway, the floorboards creaking and groaning. A strange, strangled coughing sound startled them, heard clearly from the other side of the door. It sounded like someone choking and crying at the same time, as if they were in horrible pain. Lui wondered if it was Craig’s ghost, angry that they had done nothing to help him. Or maybe he was trying to warn them just as Brock and Brian had before. “What is that?” Daithi whispered, his eyes widening as the strangled cry got louder. Evan shook his head, not knowing what it was either. He couldn't open the door to see, terrified of what might be on the other side, living or dead.  

“Where did you all go?” Tyler’s voice suddenly yelled, his voice muffled. He didn't sound like himself, the playful tone in his voice not his own. The crying had stopped, running footsteps heading away from the door as if the ghosts were scared too.

“Hide.” Evan snapped, pointing to the wardrobe that he and Lui had hid in before. Lui nodded reluctantly, not wanting to leave Evan alone to face Tyler. He dragged Daithi into the small dark space with him, closing the doors and prayed they wouldn't be found.

“What about Evan?” Daithi whispered. “Tyler will kill him.”

“Shut up. No he won't.” Lui refused to believe that Tyler would do such a thing. He knew that Tyler cared a lot for Evan, that even in a possessed state, he couldn’t do it.  At least, that was what Lui told himself.

“Where are you?” Tyler's voice sounded closer now, sending chills down Lui’s back. “Hide and seek isn’t fun! It’s a game for children! Are you children?” Tyler laughed. A loud bang made them jump, hearing Evan struggle to keep the door closed. “Awe come on, Evan!” Another loud bang, as if he was hitting the door repeatedly with all his strength.

“Tyler please! Stop!” Evan yelled back. They heard the wood splinter as the door crashed open. Lui peered through the small crack in between the two doors, seeing Evan stumble to stay on his feet as Tyler lunged at it him, the bloody wooden gun that killed Craig in his hands. He brought it down on Evan's back, his cry of pain echoing through the room. “Tyler! Stop!”

“I’ve never felt more alive, Evan...I’ve always wanted to do this. Beat the fucking shit out of you. You think you are so great, that you are better than us. You’ve always felt that way.” He hit him again repeatedly, not allowing him to get up. “You can go to hell, Evan. You let this happen, let us all die! You don't care do you? It’s just less competition for you!” Another hit, the sound of bone cracking made Lui sick. Evan cried out in pain, pulling at the floor in an attempt to crawl away from Tyler. “Did you know this would happen? Is that how you’ve made it this far?”

“Please! Stop!” Evan cried out in pain. Lui was able to see him struggle to get away from Tyler, his back bloodied. “Tyler please! This isn't you! You aren't like this! Snap out of it! Please!”

“You let Craig die!” Tyler brought the wooden gun down on Evan’s back with every word pinning him to the floor. “You let Brock and Brian die!” The next hit almost knocked him out. It took all Lui had to not throw open the doors and push Tyler away from his friend who was screaming in agony, begging Tyler to stop. “You’ve killed us all!” Tyler yelled, a harsh kick to Evan’s side throwing him onto his bruised and bloodied back.

“I-I...I-I…” Evan stammered, struggling to breathe. Lui could see that he was in so much pain, struggling to stay conscious. If he continued to beat Evan, Lui knew for sure that he would kill him. Tyler loomed over him, a wild look on his face that terrified Lui.

“Have you given up, Evan?” Tyler spat. “Are you the next one to die? Is this your hour?” Tyler laughed wildly. Evan’s eyes turned away from Tyler, glancing for a moment, at the wardrobe where Lui and Daithi were hidden. Tyler followed his gaze, a wicked smile spreading on his lips.

Suddenly, Evan swung his leg around Tyler’s, kicking his feet out from under him. Evan grabbed the gun, using it to pin Tyler down with all his remaining strength.

“Lui! Daithi! Run!” Evan yelled. Lui pushed open the doors, sprinting past Tyler and Evan towards the door. Tyler gripped the gun tightly and hit Evan hard across the face, breaking his nose. Blood spurted onto Tyler’s face as he threw Evan off to the floor, using the gun to hit him again. Lui forced himself to not look back, running down the hall as fast as he could. They could hear Tyler yell at Evan, his vicious words echoing after them as loud as Evan’s dying screams.

They were still on the lookout for Luke, unsure if he was alive or not anymore. Daithi was quietly crying, wanting to go back and save his friend. Lui glanced up at him from time to time when he wasn't checking over his shoulder or around corners to make sure that no one was there.

“Lui...We’re gonna die...One of us is going to die within the hour...We’re gonna die…” Daithi cried, tears falling down his cheeks. Lui couldn’t stop himself from snapping, turning on his heel suddenly to face his taller friend.

“Shut up! If you keep talking like that, of course you are going to die!” Lui snapped. “At this rate, Tyler is going to kill Evan or Luke...if Luke isn’t already dead! We just have to stay quiet and hide! We can’t cry. We can’t stop. We’re facing something real now, Daithi! Our friends aren’t our friends right now. Don’t you understand that? They want to kill-” He was stopped by the sound of footsteps, the floorboards creaking behind them. Lui jumped, turning to look over his shoulder. Luke was stumbling towards him, a wound on his head oozing blood that dripped down his face. He looked half dead already, the same wild possessed look in his eyes as Tyler’s.

“Luke?” Daithi called out, taking a slow step towards him. Lui grabbed his arm tightly, pulling him back.

“Where is Tyler?” Luke slurred, his voice full of pain. He continued to move towards them, staring at them with wide eyes. Lui backed away from Luke, shaking his head.

“Luke...I don’t...I don’t know...Calm down...Okay? We can figure this out...there is no need for violence…” Lui stammered, continuing to step back. Daithi didn’t move, wanting to reach out to Luke.

“Where is he?” Luke snarled, spitting out blood as he spoke.

“Luke, please.” Daithi placed his hand on Luke’s shoulder, trying to beg him to listen, to snap out of it. Luke stared down at Daithi’s hand on his shoulder, a strange look in his eyes as he turned his gaze up to him. “Luke?” Luke reached his hand out, grabbing Daithi’s wrist and twisted it, throwing him to the floor. Lui stumbled back, too scared to do anything but stare. He knew he should have helped them but all he could do was turn and run, hearing Daithi scream and yell at him for help as Luke attacked him. “Lui! Lui please! Help me!” Daithi screamed as Lui ran into one of the rooms, closing the door behind him. He grabbed a chair, propping it under the doorknob before backing away. He tripped over his own feet, collapsing to the floor with a cry. He hugged his knees, rocking back and forth with his hand over his mouth to keep from screaming.

“I’m sorry...I’m sorry...I’m sorry…” He repeated, over and over. He wasn’t sure who he apologizing to. Maybe to Brock and Brian for not being able to save them, for not listening to their warnings. To Craig for his seemingly accidental death that he didn’t deserve. Or to Evan and Daithi for leaving them behind. Or maybe even, Tyler and Luke who were slipping into madness at the sight of their friend’s deaths. None of this was fair. None of them deserved to die like this, to be so terrified of their own friends like this. Jonathan couldn’t help them, no one could.

Lui jumped at the sound of running footsteps and yelling, hearing Daithi sprint past the door and Luke following. Lui forced himself to stop sobbing, staying as silent as he could. He kept his hands pressed over his mouth, fearful of being heard. Closing his eyes tightly, he listened to the frantic footsteps fade away down the hallway. Silence surrounded him, feeling heavy and sad. Cold air settled on the room, shivers running through him.

A soft, strangled cry caught his attention, sounding more sad and pained than anything he had ever heard before. He opened his eyes, seeing Craig standing in front of him. His eyes were wide, blood dripping from his lips and soaking the front of his sweater where the bullet had pierced his chest. He realized that the door was visible through the apparition. “C-Craig…” Lui breathed, chills making him shiver. Tears fell from his eyes at the sight of his dead friend.

The ghost stared at him for a few moments before raising his arm stiffly, pointing to something behind him. Lui turned to look over his shoulder, his eyes landing on Evan’s backpack, his owl logo sewn on to it in bright red colours. Lui looked back at Craig’s ghost, confused. “Evan…?” Craig nodded slowly, fear in his eyes. Lui looked back at the owl logo, not sure if he understood what Craig was trying to tell him. He looked back to ask Craig what he meant only to find that the ghost was gone. “Craig?” Lui looked around the room, the cold fading. Was he trying to tell him that Evan was dead? Or maybe something was wrong with Evan, that maybe he was just as possessed as Tyler and Luke are.

“No! Please don’t!” The loud scream made Lui jump, the sound of breaking glass faintly heard through the screaming. Lui got to his feet, stepping towards the door. He moved the chair away, hesitantly opening the door. The hallway was oddly silent, no one in sight. Lui stepped out of the room, walking slowly towards the source of the scream.

“Daithi?” Lui whispered as he moved down the hall. There was no answer. He continued down the hall which opened up onto a larger room, the window in the centre of the floor now shattered. Taking a deep breath, Lui stepped towards the broken window, looking down at the floor on the level below. Among the shards of broken glass and blood, Daithi lay sprawled and unmoving on the wood floor. Lui fell to his knees, the glass cutting his hands and knees. “No...No…” Tears streamed down his face, sobs shaking his shoulders as footsteps approached him.

Somewhere in the house, the clock tolled three.


	5. Chapter 5

Hands grabbed Lui’s shoulders aggressively, pulling him to his feet suddenly. Lui screamed and struggled to get away, looking down at the broken window and the drop to the floor below where Daithi lay surrounded by broken glass. 

“You killed him, didn't you?” Tyler yelled, shaking Lui’s shoulders aggressively. He was covered in blood, most of it not his own. “You pushed him to his death! After all he has done for you?” 

“Where is Evan? What did you do to him?” Lui yelled back, kicking Tyler's knees as hard as he could. Tyler stumbled back, forced to drop Lui when his kick connected. “What did you do to him?” Lui repeated as firmly as he could. 

“Evan had it coming! You would have done the same fucking thing! Just like how you pushed Daithi!” Tyler roared, stepping threateningly towards him.Lui was forced to take a step back towards the broken window, glancing nervously at it over his shoulder. 

“I didn't kill him! I didn't push him!” Lui cried. “I found him like this! Tyler please listen to me! You aren't acting like yourself! This isn't you! You wouldn't have hurt Evan! Or anyone of us! Tyler please! Something else is doing this! Something evil is killing us! It’s making us act like this! Tyler you have to snap out of this! If not, it isn’t going to stop till we are all dead!” Lui yelled, forcing himself to step towards him. He eyed the bloody wooden gun in Tyler's hand, his hands and sleeves stained red. He tried not to stare at it and wonder where the blood came from. 

Tyler stepped forward to push Lui through the broken window, not expecting him to duck and sprint down the hall as fast as he could. Lui could hear Tyler give chase, his footsteps almost as loud as his screaming. 

“You fucking coward! You’re a  fucking coward!” Tyler screamed as Lui ran down the nearest staircase, quickly finding himself lost in the maze of halls. He could still hear Tyler close behind, not allowing himself to stop running despite how much his lungs hurt with every breath. “I’m going to kill you!” Tyler yelled, his voice sounding fainter as Lui ran up another staircase, back to the third floor. “Just like I killed Evan!” 

“Where are you going?” Luke laughed from where he stood in the middle of the hall, suddenly in front of Lui. Lui panicked, turning and running in the direction he had just come only to hear Tyler still coming after him. The thought occurred to him that he would be okay with throwing himself out one of the windows if it meant getting out of this hell. 

“Awe come on, Lui! We’re just having some fun!” Tyler called out as he reached the top of the stairs at the other end of the hall. Lui was trapped between to the two of them feeling like his death was looming over him, just waiting. 

“This way…” A gentle, Irish voice whispered just loud enough for him to hear. The door in front of him had opened on it’s own, inviting him inside to safety. Lui scrambled inside, closing and locking the door once he was in. He backed away from it slowly, hearing Tyler and Luke outside yell at him and each other. 

Lui recognized the room but he wasn't entirely sure which one it was until he turned around. His eyes landed on Evan, who lay still on the blood covered floor. His back and head was mangled, broken and torn. The wounds were so deep, bone could be seen through the torn flesh and dark blood that glinted in the dim light. 

“Evan…” Lui fell to his knees beside his friend, tears falling from his eyes. “I should have listened to Craig...He was trying to tell me that you died too...Evan I’m sorry...You didn't deserve this.” Lui sobbed quietly. “None of us deserved this.”  Lui sat back on the blood stained wood, wiping the tears away from his eyes with his sleeve. He wanted to scream and yell, to destroy whatever did this to them. He was bursting with anger and it was taking all he had to not let it consume him like it had the others. 

A sudden noise made Lui jump, his eyes landing on Luke’s cell phone. It had fallen in the fight, a few feet away from Evan on the floor where it was now ringing. Lui scrambled towards it, seeing Jonathan's picture on the screen. 

“Jon?” He whispered as he answered, moving away from the middle of the room and Evan’s body to a desk under the window, crawling under the table as if it would protect him. He curled his knees to his chest, trying to stay calm as he wiped Evan’s fresh blood and Craig’s dried blood off the screen. 

“Lui? Are you okay?” Jonathan cried, his voice loud and hurting Lui’s ears. 

“No...No they are all dead...I’m the only sane one left...Tyler and Luke got weapons and...They are coming for me.” Lui sobbed. “Evan is dead...Craig and Daithi are dead...Brian and Brock. They are all gone! And I’m gonna be next.” He could hear Jonathan take a shaky breath that could have been a sob.

“Don't...Don't say that. There has got to be a way out of there, right? Maybe a secret tunnel or a trap door. You can't give up, Lui! You can't!” Jonathan tried to reassure him. Lui shook his head, knowing there was nothing. They would have found it by now if there was a way. 

“Jon...You have always been such a wonderful friend. You always cared so much about us…” Lui trailed off, glancing up at Evan's still, bloody body. “I’m glad you aren't here...You deserve to live a happy life.”

“Lui! Stop! Help should be there by now! You’re  going to get out of this! I’m getting on the next flight there and I’ll be there too-”

“No! You can't come here. You can't come here...You’ll die too. Please stay where you are safe.” Lui said quietly. A loud bang made him jump and  look up at the door with wide eyes. “They are coming for me…” 

“Who is?!” Jonathan cried, sounding frantic and terrified. “Tyler and Luke? Lui... they wouldn't do that!” 

“Yes they would! They want to kill me! Someone has to die every hour, Jon! It won't be them this time. They wanna make it to six when the sun comes up…” Lui sounded crazed, out of his mind with fear. 

“Yes the sun is going to rise and you’ll see it too! At least defend yourself!” Jonathan begged. “You have to fight too...Even if it is our friends.” 

“Jonathan…I’m so scared. I don't want to die. I don't want to die.”  Lui repeated over and over. A red light on the phone caught his eye, the low battery warning flashing urgently. “Goodbye, Jonathan.”  The banging on the door echoed in Lui’s ears as he closed his eyes tightly, tears falling down his cheeks.

“Lui?” Jonathan cried. “Lui talk to m-” The phone shut off suddenly, the silence Lui was left in was deafening. He stared at Evan's still body, expecting him to move at any moment. 

“Ev…” Lui could barely make a noise, glancing nervously up at the door. “Evan...Please help me...Please…” It was useless. Evan was gone and Lui was alone. He had to accept it. His only possible way to freedom was the third story window above the table he hid under and the pavement below. Another bang shook the door, making Lui jump. He braced himself, ready to crawl out from under the table. 

“Lui!” Tyler laughed manically, the sound of wood cracking sending chills down his spine. “Lui!” The door broke open with an explosion of splintering wood, Tyler and Luke stumbling into the room. His heart sank as he realised they had decided to team up against him, wanting him dead more than each other. Lui scrambled to his feet, pulling himself on top of the table as he threw himself at the window with all his weight when it would not budge. 

“No please! Let me out!” Lui wailed, hitting the glass as hard as he could but it would not break. “Let me out!” He screamed as hands grabbed him, dragging him off the table and throwing him to the floor. Tyler and Luke stared down at him, bloody smiles on their faces and weapons in their hands. Lui scrambled away, trying to avoid slipping on the blood on the floor as he got to his feet and ran into  the dark  hall, Tyler and Luke close behind. 

“Come on, Lui! We’re gonna make it easy on you!” Luke laughed, his footsteps loud behind Lui who continued to run as fast as he could. He forced himself to not look back over his shoulder, able to hear how close they were to him by their screaming and laughter. “Lui!” 

He tried to tell himself it was just his imagination, that it was just the fear playing trick on him, but Lui could have sworn that he saw his dead friends in the door ways as he ran past, yelling at him to run. Brock stood bloody and broken, pointing to the stairs at the end of the hall with a begging look on his face. Brian was pale and wide eyed, staring at Tyler and Luke with terror. A ghost shouldn't be scared of the living. Craig in his bloody sweatshirt with an even paler face, seemed to step out in front of Tyler, as if he could stop him, reach out from the other side and calm him. Daithi urged Lui on, his cut and bruised hand still reaching for him. Lui looked back at the ghosts, tears in his eyes when he saw his dead friends. He couldn't give up now, not on them. 

He reached the stairs, unprepared for the force of Luke’s hands on his back shoving him down the wooden flight. Lui cried out as he fell, rolling down the hard wooden stairs, his hands flailing in an attempt to grab the railing. He landed painfully on the floor at the bottom, a small cry of pain escaping his throat. He had never felt so much pain before. It was so overwhelming that he couldn’t move; he couldn’t fight back when Luke pinned him down to the floor, the hard wooden barrel of his gun pressed against his throat, choking the air out of him. Lui gasped, tears falling from his bulging eyes as he struggled to breathe, weakly clawing at Luke’s arms in an attempt to get him off. “Just die already! It’ll be easier for you!” Luke yelled, pressing the handle harder against Lui’s throat. “This is your hour, Lui! Someone has to die! It’s gonna be you! I ain't dying now! I’m getting out of here!” Luke screamed, the barrel of the gun bruising Lui’s neck as Luke put all his weight on it, crushing the air out of Lui. 

Lui’s desperation and fear was so overwhelming, he didn’t notice the dark shadow stumbling down the stairs, the sound of metal scraping on the wood heard faintly over slow, limping footsteps. Lui gasped desperately for air, his head feeling like it was going to explode as his vision blurred painfully. The slow footsteps got louder, the dark figure getting closer as something metal dragged behind them. 

Luke glanced up in the direction of the sound, having to take a double take as his eyes widened with absolute terror. Luke was suddenly  thrown off Lui, blood splattering onto Lui’s face and the floor around him. Lui gasped for air as he crawled away, his whole body feeling bruised. 

“Evan…” Luke’s voice sounded dazed, blood dripping down his face. Lui’s eyes moved up to the dark figure standing over Luke, an axe held tight in their mangled, broken hands. Lui put his hand over his mouth to stop from screaming in terror. Evan stood over Luke, covered in blood and wounds, his eyes completely black and a smile on his torn face. Evan raised the axe over his head and brought it down on Luke’s skull over and over, till nothing was left to identify his friend but a pool of blood and flesh. Lui stared in horror at Evan as he straightened up, his wide, black eyes turning to Lui. 

“How...You are dead...How?” Lui could barely get the words out, too scared to move. “E-Evan…” The demon stepped towards Lui, the bloody axe dragging on the ground. His possessed friend laughed, raising the axe above his head. 

Somewhere in the house, the clock tolled four. 


	6. Chapter 6

“Evan!” The scream echoed through the halls with the tolls of the clock. Lui looked towards the stairs, seeing Tyler halfway up them. He held the gun that had killed Craig and should have killed Evan, his blood stained hands curled around it tightly as if he meant to use it on the demon who stood at the bottom of the stairs. 

Lui looked back up at his friend in time to see the bloody axe glint in the light as it came down towards his head. Lui rolled away quickly though not fast enough to escape the axe as it grazed his shoulder and hit the wood floor that splintered under the force. “Lui come on!” Tyler  yelled as Lui scrambled to his feet,feeling blood ooze down his shoulder and soak his sweatshirt. He ran up the stairs with his hand reaching for Tyler. 

“You are never going to leave this house! Your soul is mine now!” The demonic entity screamed in Evan’s voice, following Lui up the stairs. “I’ve killed all your friends! I’ll kill you too!” Lui glanced back at him, meeting his wide and murderous black eyes. He swung the axe at Lui who ducked out of the way; his hands clutching Tyler’s arm tightly. It crashed into the banister, breaking the wood railing which splintered weakly under the inhuman pressure. Tyler pulled Lui up the rest of the way, sprinting down the hallway with the demon close behind. “You are never going to leave this house!” 

Tyler pushed Lui into one of the rooms, slamming the door shut as he followed. He locked it, propping a chair up under the knob before slowly backing away. Lui stepped back, feeling something warm and wet soak through his sock. He glanced down, his eyes widening at the sight of the pool of blood on the floor, left behind by Evan. The wardrobe where he had hidden several times that night was still open, the room dimly lit by the early morning light. 

“That isn’t Evan...That’s not our friend out there, Tyler.” Lui whispered, tears falling from his eyes. He moved away from the blood pool, his eyes on the window that he had tried desperately to break open. “He’s gonna kill us.” 

“No he isn’t, Lui. We’re getting out here.” Tyler said, more aggressively than he meant. He seemed different than what he had been like just a few hours before. Lui stared at him, expecting him to attack him with the gun just like he had attacked Evan. “Why are you looking at me like that? I’m not the possessed one.” 

“You were! You killed Evan! You tried to kill me! You attacked Luke because he accidentally killed Craig. Now Luke is dead! Evan smashed his head open with that axe! He laughed, Tyler! Just like you did!” Lui cried, backing away from Tyler who seemed shocked by his words. 

“Evan isn’t dead, Lui! You saw him! I didn’t kill him! I don’t remember doing any of that!” Tyler said, glancing nervously at the door as he tried to keep his voice down. “I didn't touch him.” 

“I remember clearly. I heard what you said as you hit him...I saw what you did.” Lui spat, his words full of venom that hurt Tyler more than anything else he had heard in his life. “When we get out of here, I want nothing to do with you. I will never be able to forget the things you said to me. The things you did.” 

“Lui...Please. Please! I didn’t do those things.” Tyler begged, his voice breaking as tears filled his eyes. “That wasn’t me...Just like that isn’t Evan out there right now.” He pointed to the door and the hallway just beyond which had descended into an eerie, heavy silence. Not a single noise could be heard in it’s empty halls. “Lui please…” 

“You beat Evan to a pulp...You kept hitting him until he was dead! I saw it.” Lui sobbed. 

“Did you do anything to stop it?” Tyler suddenly demanded, catching Lui off guard. “You could have done something! You could have stopped me! You could have saved the others too! Brock...Brian...Craig...Why didn’t you? Are you a coward?” 

“Shut up!” Lui cried. He didn't want to hear this, to hear what he had been thinking all along. 

“Why didn’t you save them, Lui? Why didn’t you fight back?” Tyler took a threatening step towards him, his hands tight on the wood gun. “Do you not care, Lui? Did you not cry?” 

“Shut up! Shut up! Shu-” Tyler’s hand clamped down over Lui’s mouth, stopping his cries as footsteps echoing in the hallway came towards the room. Lui stared at the door with wide eyes, waiting for the handle to shake and the demon with their friend’s face to try to break the door down. The footsteps continued down the hall, past their door and towards the stairs at the end of the hall. Lui wondered if it had just been one of the ghosts. 

“Look...Lui...I’m as scared as you are. I am terrified. It’s adrenaline keeping me going right now because if it wasn’t, I would have broken down and cried till I couldn’t anymore when Brock died. I don’t remember doing those things and as much as it scares me and hurts me...I believe you when you say that I did them. This place is scary, Lui. There is something really evil here...It saw that we were angry and it got to us...It used us to kill each other. I’m sorry, Lui. I’m sorry. I need you and you need me if we are going to get out of this alive. And in the morning, when we are out of here and alive and you still don’t want anything to do with me, then I understand. Just stay with me for now...Please.” Tyler said softly, tears falling from his eyes. Lui stared up at him, unable to say anything with Tyler’s hand pressed over his mouth to keep him from screaming. 

Tyler’s eyes moved from the door to the window and the sky that was starting to brighten. Slowly, the sun was starting to rise and morning was dawning on this slaughterhouse, the blood pools reflecting the soft glow. “I’m so scared, Lui...I’m so scared.” Tyler whispered again, moving his hand away from Lui’s mouth to hug him tightly. 

“W-We’ll get outta here, Tyler.” It was what Lui knew that Tyler wanted to hear. Lui couldn’t move, his eyes on the door. He was waiting; waiting for the demon to smash through the door and kill them both. “We’ll get out of here. This night will end.” One way or another, it would end. 

The handle suddenly shook, turning slowly at first as if the demon was just trying to see if they were stupid enough to leave it unlocked. It shook suddenly, as if it would somehow unlock it but Lui saw it as a taunt, as if the demon was giving them a few last moments before killing them with a smile on their stolen face. 

“Hide...Hide!” Tyler whispered, shoving Lui into the wardrobe. 

“Tyler no!” Lui grabbed onto Tyler’s hand tightly, his eyes wide with terror. “Don’t...Evan will kill you! You said that we would stay together! That we would make it out of here!” Tyler gave him a reassuring smile as he pushed his hand away and closed the doors on Lui, leaving him alone in the dark. 

“Come on, Evan! You demonic fuck!” Tyler yelled over the sound of the doorknob rattling. The rattling suddenly stopped, a strange silence descending on the room as the temperature dropped with it, chills running down Lui’s spine. He leaned forward to the crack between the doors, seeing Tyler look around the room as if expecting to see Evan appear behind him. 

The sound of wood splintering made Lui jump, his hands over his mouth to stop his scream. The axe came through the door repeatedly, Evan’s twisted laughter sounding worse than the breaking of the wood. The door broke open, the chair used to blocked it kicked out of the way like it was nothing. 

“Hello Tyler!” Blood dripped from Evan’s wounds, his black eyes wide and lifeless. Lui watched Tyler back away from the entity, his hands gripping the gun that he had convinced himself would save his life though it was nothing more than wood and metal. 

“Evan please...I know you are in there. You gotta snap out of it!” Tyler begged. “For your own good, snap out of it! That sun is going to rise and we’re gonna get out of this house!” 

“You are never going to leave this house.” Evan’s voice was strange, sounding like two voices speaking at once. One was his voice that Lui knew very well from all those late night Skype calls playing the games they loves the most. 

The other was a dark voice that was not of this world, sounding gnarled and full of unimaginable pain that made it scream out the words. “You are never going to leave this house! You will never leave! You can't escape!” 

“Evan! Please! We are going to get out! Do you see that sun rising out there?” Lui couldn't see Tyler anymore but he imagined him pointing to the window and the outside world that was just out of reach. “It’s almost morning! We’ve made it, Evan! Please! Snap out of this!” The axe swung through the air towards Tyler who was able to get out of the way, the axe hitting the wall where he had just stood. 

“You are never going to leave this house!” Evan screamed, his voice sounding more demonic than before as the axe came down on Tyler. Lui heard a scream of pain and blood splatter onto the already bloody floor. 

Lui felt sick, wanting to look away from the gruesome sight. He had watched Tyler beat Evan, laughing and screaming at him how much he hated him the whole time. Now he was watching Evan do the exact same thing to him. He tried to tell himself that this wasn't Evan, that this was the monster who had killed all his friends. Yet all he could see under the blood was Evan. 

“E-Evan...please…” Tyler struggled to get the words out, his hands reaching for his fallen wooden gun as if it could protect him. Lui’s eye was caught by another figure in the room standing over Tyler, watching him scramble away from the demon. Except the ghost had no head, only strands of flesh hanging down it’s chest and a broken stump of a bloody neck. Lui knew it was Luke, a cold chill running through him as he watched the ghost reach forward, curling it’s bloody hand around the gun. The sound of a gunshot made Lui jump, falling away from the closed doors into the dark of the wardrobe. He heard a body hit the floor and Tyler’s gasp of shock. “Evan…” 

Lui couldn't move, only stare at the closed doors with wide eyes. The gun wasn't real, it couldn't fire anything; yet Luke’s ghost had willed it to out of anger that Evan had killed him. “Evan...Oh God, Evan! No!” Tyler wailed. “I didn't mean to do it...I didn't mean to…I didn’t want to…” Lui pushed the wardrobe door open slowly, his eyes landing on Evan’s still body and Tyler’s tear stained face. His shoulder was bleeding badly; he’d bleed out by morning if he didn't get help. Lui glanced at the axe that had fallen from Evan’s hand as he crawled out of the wardrobe towards Tyler. 

“Tyler...We have to go…” Lui managed to say. “Let’s get out of here.”

“I didn't want to kill him, Lui! I didn't want to kill him!” Tyler sobbed. “I didn't mean to. I thought he would stop of I said those things! I thought he would snap out of it and be our Evan again!” 

“I know! I know you didn't mean to, Tyler! Evan didn't mean for any of this to happen too! We can't sit here and cry about it though! We need to get out of here! We need to get help! So please, get up and let's get out of here!” Lui yelled, more aggressive than he meant to be. Tyler stared at him for a few moments before nodding slowly. “Come on…” He took the still smoking gun from Tyler’s hand and setting it on the floor as he helped him stand. They stumbled towards the door, Tyler's bloody shoulder pressed against Lui who cringed at the feeling of the blood soaking his already bloodstained sweater. “Let’s get out of here…” 

The sound of metal scraping on the wooden floor made Lui sick, turning slowly to see Evan rise to his feet, a bloody hole on his forehead where the bullet had hit him. Evan reached forwards, his hand curling around Tyler’s shoulder. He dragged him back with inhuman strength, throwing him to the floor. 

“Tyler!” Lui cried, desperately reaching for him. 

“Run! Get out of here!” Tyler yelled, his eyes on the axe as Evan raised it above his head. Lui hesitated, remembering what Tyler had told him about fighting back. “Run!” Tyler screamed again. 

Lui turned and ran from the bloody room, Tyler’s cry of agony echoing down the hall after him. 

Somewhere in the house, the clock tolled five. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter and a short epilogue are on their way! Thank you so much for reading and the reviews!


	7. Chapter 7

Tears fell from Lui’s eyes, streaming down his cheeks before falling to the floor. He had hidden in Evan’s room, crawled under the bed and told himself that none of this real. His friends couldn't be dead, couldn't be gone from his life when they had only been there for a short wonderful time. Evan wasn't a monster, he wasn't possessed by some devil. Lui told himself that he would wake up on his bed and none of this would have happened. Everything would be alright. 

Yet when Lui opened his tear filled eyes, he was still staring out at the old fashioned room, the smell of dust and blood stinging his sinuses. His shoulder felt numb, soaked with his own blood. He closed his eyes again, wishing he had grabbed the gun from Tyler to protect himself. He had nothing now; nothing to stop the demon from coming after him. He remembered what Jonathan had said about getting on the plane out and finding them and wondered if he would make it and bring the help they needed. 

“Lui…” The soft voice made him jump, his eyes shooting open. Someone was standing beside the bed, their running shoes splattered with blood. “Lui…” The ghost said again, the voice soft enough to calm him. 

“I’m sorry…” Lui whispered. Though he wasn't sure whose ghost this was that had come to haunt him but he felt responsible for their death anyways. He could have saved them, could have stopped them from hurting each other. Instead he had stood by and did nothing but run away and hide. 

“Right under our noses…” The ghost said, sound more like Craig the more it spoke. Lui remembered finding Craig in the hall, having fallen to his knees under the pressure of grief. “I tripped over it…” Craig told him. Lui stared at the shoes, hoping that it was the actual Craig telling him this and not the demon trying to trap him. “It’s there...Right under us the whole time...Get out.” 

“Please don't make me go back out there.” Lui sobbed, his shoulder stinging from the movement. “Evan is out there…” 

“Get out.” It was Tyler’s voice now, the ghost moving to it’s knees. 

“Get out.” Brock pleaded. 

“Get out.” Brian wheezed. 

“Get out.” Craig stammered.

“Get out.” Luke spluttered. 

“Get out.” Daithi peered under the bed at Lui, reaching his cut hand towards him. “Get out...Please. For us…We can't leave but you can.” 

“He’ll kill me…” Lui sobbed. “Daithi please don't make me go out there.” 

“We’ll protect you...The door is in the floor...watch out for the fall…” Daithi insitructed. “Get out.” The ghost suddenly disappeared, leaving Lui alone once more. He could see the window from where he hid, warm early morning light spilling in through the thin lace curtains. They were right, he had to get out. 

Forcing himself to crawl out from under the bed was a pain filled task, having to stop a few times to catch his breath and make sure the bleeding from his shoulder wasn't too bad. He finally got out, moving towards the door. He listened for a few minutes, hearing nothing but the early morning traffic and birds singing pleasantly outside. Taking a deep breath, he pulled open the door, the hallway still oddly dark and silent as he stepped into it. He had to keep telling himself to walk as he stepped down the hallway, glancing into the rooms nervously. He expected to see the demon but instead there was nothing. He was the last living person in this house, surrounded by ghosts and demons. He could hear their footsteps behind him, cold chills running down his spine. 

“Please don't leave me.” He whispered to the ghosts, believing that he could see his friends just out of the corner of his eye. He tip toed down the stairs, finding the door to the hallway where he had found Craig. 

His eyes landed on the tipped over table and the broken lamp, the hallway too dark to see the floor and the door his ghostly friends told him about. He stepped forward, the fear making him feel like turning around and hiding again. 

“You are never going to leave this house.” Evan stepped out of the shadows at the end of the hall, the axe held in his bloody hands. 

“Evan...Listen to me. You are still in there...Somewhere...Unless Tyler really did kill you but if your ghost can hear me, I need to you now! I need you to snap out of this! To wake up from whatever nightmare this is! I know how to get out of this house and I will leave this house!” Lui yelled. “Are you coming with me, Evan?” 

“You are nev-” 

“I’m not talking to you, you fucking evil bastard! I’m talking to my friend! Evan please! Come with me. Wake up!” Lui cried, tears of anger welling up in his eyes. “Evan!” Lui screamed, his hands curled into fists despite the pain of his shoulder. “Please!” 

“You are never going to leave this house.” The demon stepped forward, starting to raise the axe above his head. Lui dropped to his knees, frantically searching for the small door. His hand caught on a piece of metal hidden under the rug, his eyes glancing up at Evan as he pulled the handle, throwing open the door. Craig must have been to overwhelmed to look for what he had tripped over and Lui cursed him for it as the demon ran at him. “You are never going to leave this house!” Evan screamed as Lui scrambled into the small gap under the floor, pulling the door closed on top. He crawled through the darkness, hearing the demon scream above him, and it’s angry footsteps. 

The axe crashed through the floor, cutting Lui’s leg as he scrambled to get away. The demon pulled the axe back, only to bring it down again on the floor above Lui, the wood splintering around him as he kept crawling forward. He could feel fresh air coming from the end of the small tunnel through a vent, his lungs burning as he heaved for air. He could still hear the demon above him, shrieking with rage. He reached the vent, hitting it as hard as he could. He winced in pain, the metal cutting his hands as he hit it but he didn’t stop. He could see through the small gaps, the waking world outside and could feel the cool morning air.  “You are never going to leave this house!” The vent gave way, breaking from the wall and falling two stories to the garden below. 

“Oh God…” Lui breathed, staring down at the hard ground below. Daithi had warned him about a fall. He knew he could survive the landing; it would hurt like hell but he could do it. A part of him wondered if he could just hide there and wait it out. “Get out…” He whispered, taking a deep breath of fresh morning air. He had never loved the morning quite so much before. 

He pushed himself out of the vent; landing harshly in one of the hedges. Lui gasped in pain, unable to move for a few moments, only stare up at the morning sky and listen to the birds singing in the trees. He didn't have any time to enjoy it though. He managed to push himself to his feet, stumbling towards the gate. He could hardly believe that he was outside, breathing in fresh air, the dew soaking the grass and through his socks. He could see the sun rising in the sky and the breeze swaying the branches of the trees. 

“You will never leave this house!” The demonic voice screeched, Lui’s heart sinking as he turned around to see Evan standing on the path behind him. 

“Evan...Please…” Exhaustion was starting to weigh heavy on Lui, his muscles aching with every step. He was so close, so close to getting out of this nightmare. 

Evan raised the axe above his head, blood dripping down the wood handle. Lui fell to his knees among the flowers, looking up at his friend as the axe glinted in the light. 

Somewhere in the house, the clock tolled…

 

“Lui! Hey wake up! We’re here!” Luke’s voice snapped Lui’s eyes open. Lui stared with wide eyes around the van at his friends as they looked up excitedly at the mystery house. Lui felt sick, the nightmare and it’s gruesome images running through his mind. 

“Holy shit. You weren't joking. This place is weird.” Craig said excitedly. Lui’s head spun, trying to make sense of what was real and what wasn't. He had already seen this before, heard this conversation before. Why was it repeating? 

“Are you sure about this?” Lui wasn't sure what he was saying, stareing at his friends with wide eyes. He was tempted to reach out and touch Craig or Luke, just to make sure they were real. “D-Do we really have to spend the night here?” Lui”s voice broke with fear, sounding like a squeak. 

“What? Are you scared, Lui?” Tyler laughed, a strange look in his eye just as he had in Lui’s vivid nightmare when he attacked Evan.

Everything happened like how Lui remembered it, a few more comments and laughs as they got out and admired the place, opening the trunk and reaching for their bags. As he got out of the car, his eyes went up to the window that had been in Evan’s bedroom, seeing a dark, bloody figure in the window. 

The demon with Evan’s face smiled as it disappeared, the curtain swinging back into the place as somewhere inside the house, the clock tolled six. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter (plus an epilogue!) Thank you all so much for reading! I have a new fic on the way that will be a lot more magical!!


	8. Epilogue

"Let me through! Let me through!" The blue hooded youtuber pushed his way through the crowd, his hands shaking with fear of what he would see. 

"A group of YouTube's famous gamers..." He heard a reporter say as he passed them. "Found dead early this morning by the Winchester Mystery House staff when they heard yelling outside..." Jonathan continued pushing through the crowd till he reached the gate, still hearing the reporter's haunting words. "One has yet to be found...This is a serious blow to the YouTube community." 

"Please you gotta let me in! Those are my friends! My name is Jonathan! Please!" He begged the police officer standing by the yellow tape. "Please they are my friends! They called me during the night...They were frantic, begging for help! I heard gunshots!” Jonathan yelled, tears falling from his face. After speaking with a detective, the officer let Jonathan through. 

"Can you tell me the circumstances of these Skype calls that you received from them?" The detective asked as they escorted Jonathan away from the crowd. The flash of a camera caught Jonathan's eye, his head turning to see a group of investigators taking photos of evidence among the flowers. As they passed, Jonathan caught sight of a body hidden by a white blanket, the brightly patterned sock covered feet left bare. 

"They...They..." Jonathan found himself unable to talk, his eyes on the bright patterns of cartoon monkeys on the socks. 

"Sir? Are you alright?" Jonathan nodded, trying to compose himself. 

"I wasn't able to go on this trip...It was just a fun night to promote a game some of the guys had a part in making. They told me they would call me so I could at least be a part of it." Jonathan explained, his eyes on the flowers that gently swayed around the body of his friend. "It started off fine...They called me a few times during the evening, just having fun. Then...Just after midnight...I was woken up when they called me...Freaking out because Moo..." He trailed off, tears welling up in his eyes. 

"Moo?" The detective seemed confused. 

"Nickname." Jonathan said, forcing himself to look away from the flowers. "Brock had fallen down some stairs and died...I don't know how. They just said he tripped but others said he was pushed. They couldn't contact the police or the staff. Then they called me not long after...When...When Luke...He was scared and angry and he had a gun. Then I heard a gunshot and the call was ended." Jonathan remembered the last call with Lui when he spoke like it was the last time. He wondered if it really was or if he made it longer. He decided not to tell the detective about that call. 

"Would any of them have any reason to harm each other?" 

"No. No we all love...Loved...Each other. None of us would do this unless possessed." Jonathan laughed shakily. "It's impossible." 

"Can you stay here...We'll need to get a record of the times they called." The detective explained. Jonathan nodded, looking back at the flowers and the bloodied monkey socks. He glanced at the front door, seeing it open as an officer walked out. He had to find the others, confirm that it was really true. He had to know what happened to his friends. 

Taking  deep breath, he ran towards the door, ignoring the officer that tried to stop him. He knew Lui was outside, laying among the flowers. He almost made it out, he had been so close. Jonathan turned the corner and found another body hidden by a white blanket. The floor was stained red, glinting in the light as Jonathan stepped closer. He lifted up the cover slowly, seeing Craig underneath. He set the cover back down, continuing to search the house. He found another, almost throwing up at the sight of the head smashed in. He could barely recognize Luke. He choked back sobs as he headed up the stairs, finding Brock at the bottom of another set of stairs and Daithi sprawled on broken glass and Brian bruised and pale. 

Tyler was the last one he found, against a blood stained wall and a white blanket over him. He felt sick, tears falling uncontrollably from his eyes as sobs shook his shoulders. He couldn't find Evan, which meant there was a possibility that he was still alive. He had to be but that could also mean that he was responsible for this massacre. 

“So delirious…” A voice sang softly from the hall behind him. Jonathan felt chills run through him; the voice sounded so familiar but so inhuman. “Out of my mind…” Jonathan turned slowly as he got his feet, seeing nothing a dark empty hallway. 

“Hello? Who is there?” He couldn’t hear the police or the crowd outside. He couldn't hear anything except for that voice. 

“So delirious….Out of my mind…” Jonathan turned, coming face to face with Evan who smiled strangely at him. It seemed like he was the only person he wanted to see in the whole world and it scared the hell out of Jonathan. 

“Evan...Evan are you okay? What happened to you?” Jonathan stepped towards him. As he got closer, he could see all the blood on him and the darkness of his eyes. He gasped, stepping away from the monster with his friend’s face. “Where is Evan? What did you do to him?” 

“You are never going to leave this house.” The sounds of the clock ringing the hour echoed through the dark halls. “You are never going to leave this house.” 


End file.
